Performers

Military Performers

U.S. Navy Blue Angels

The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Blue Angels, has been the indisputable “star of the show” since the 1940s. Flying F/A-18 Hornets painted in Navy Blue and Gold since 1986, these masters of the sky have demonstrated aerial excellence in the Navy’s top piston and jet aircraft. Click here for more about the Blue Angels and their traveling companion, the Marine Corps C-130 named “Fat Albert.”
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U.S. Army Golden Knights

Cutting away a parachute on purpose. Passing a baton at 120 mph. Flying the American flag at 12,000 feet. Landing dead center on the target. The Golden Knights have been holding audiences in the palm of their hands all over the world with their feats of aerial acrobatics. Now in their 55th year of entertaining both young and old with their amazing aerial skills, the men and women of the Golden Knights continue to show why they are considered the world’s best parachute team. • • • • • • • • •

U.S. Navy Leap Frogs

“The U.S Navy Parachute Team is a fifteen-man team comprised entirely of U.S. Navy SEAL and SWCC commandos. Each member comes to the team for a three year tour from one of the two Navy Special Warfare Groups located on the east and west coasts. On completion of the tour, members return to operational units.The parachute team began in 1969 when the Navy SEALS and Frogmen volunteered to perform at weekend air shows. The team was officially commissioned as the U.S. Navy Parachute Team “Leap Frogs” in 1974 by the Chief of Naval Operations and assigned the mission of demonstrating Navy excellence throughout the United States. The Leap Frogs support Navy recruiting efforts and promote the Naval Special Warfare community to the American public.
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U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptor

The F-22 Raptor will be making a rare appearance in the beautiful San Diego skies! Watch in amazement as Major Lopez takes to the air in the world’s most formidable stealth fighter performing the “Cobra” and other breathtaking maneuvers only the incredible F-22 is capable of performing!
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Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey

An American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft.
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USAF ACC Heritage FlightU.S. Air Force F-22A Raptor | P-51D Mustang

The Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation performances feature modern fighter and attack aircraft flying alongside World War II, Korea and Vietnam-era planes in a dramatic display of our nation’s air power history. Our formations serve as a living memorial to the men and women who have served—or are currently serving—in the U.S. Air Force and we proudly fly in support of Air Force recruiting and retention efforts.
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U-2 Dragon Lady

One of the United States’ most secret aerial reconnaissance platforms for more than half a century, the storied U-2 Dragon Lady still flies some of the U.S. military’s most sensitive spy missions worldwide.

The U-2S is a single-seat, single-engine, high-altitude/near space reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft providing signals, imagery, and electronic measurements and signature intelligence, or MASINT. Long and narrow wings give the U-2 glider-like characteristics and allow it to quickly lift heavy sensor payloads to unmatched altitudes, keeping them there for extended periods of time. The U-2 is capable of gathering a variety of imagery, including multi-spectral electro-optic, infrared, and synthetic aperture radar products which can be stored or sent to ground exploitation centers. In addition, it also supports high-resolution, broad-area synoptic coverage provided by the optical bar camera producing traditional film products which are developed and analyzed after landing.
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Civilian Performers

Sean D. Tucker Aerobatics w/ Johnny De Gennaro

Since beginning his air show career in the mid-70s, Sean Tucker has flown more than 1200 performances at more than 475 air shows, in front of more than 105 million fans. In the upcoming season alone, Tucker and Team Oracle will entertain nearly 8million fans at 13 shows throughout North America. “I like to think that I bring the fans’ dreams of flying into the plane with me, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than in the cockpit. That’s why I train so hard to keep the edge!” Sean has logged over 25,000 hours flying, which if done all at once, would take almost three years to complete. In 2013 Sean D. Tucker was named Chairman on the Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles program. Since 1992 the Young Eagles program with its 40,000 volunteer pilots has provided more than 1.8 million rides to children ages 8 to 17. Sean is honored to lead an organization that inspires the next generation of pilots to follow their passion.”
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Jon Melby – Hangar 24 Muscle Bi-Plane

When it comes to super-aggressive, tear-up-the-sky aerobatics, nothing says “extreme” better than Hangar 24’s very own Jon Melby! Flying the Hangar 24Muscle Bi-Plane, Jon is making his 1st appearance at this year’s MCAS Miramar Air Show… and he plans to get wild in the skies over San Diego! With over 20 years as an aerobatic pilot, Jon is the master at wringing PERFORMANCE out of his 350-horsepower aircraft. An Air Force veteran who flew classified special operations missions on the MC-130, Jon is an outgoing people-person, and we are proud to have him Miramar Air Show Team for 2018.
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Shockwave Jet Truck

The Shockwave Jet Truck runs over 300 mph, racing airplanes at air shows; it holds the world record in a quarter mile for trucks at 256 mph in just 6.36 seconds; and holds the world record for full size trucks at 376 mph as recorded by Guinness Book of World Records. At 36,000 horsepower, the ShockWave has enough power to accelerate at three G’s vertical, which is as much as the space shuttle!• • • • • • • • •

John Collver “Wardog”, AT-6 Texan

John A. Collver and his AT-6 “War Dog” are a crowd-pleasing favorite seen by millions of people at Air Shows every year. Collver, who has logged thousands of hours of airtime in more than 50 types of aircraft over 30-plus years of flying, uses the World War II-era AT-6 trainer to show off the aerial maneuvers taught to dog-fighting American pilots more than 60 years ago. • • • • • • • • •

Steve Stavrakakis Romanian IAR, “A Tribute to the American Vet”

With nearly 20 years of experience as a professional air show pilot and narrator, Steve Stavrakakis is considered a proven entertainment package. Stavrakakis flies his “Tribute to Veterans” in the aerobatic IAR-823 built by Industria Aeronatica Romania, powered by a 300-hp Lycoming and spinning a Hartzell propeller. The IAR is painted in Air Force jungle camouflage colors and the markings of the 8th Special Ops Squadron stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam in 1970. • • • • • • • • •

Kent Pietsch – 1942 Interstate Cadet

Quite possibly the most recognizable civilian airshow performer in North America, Kent Pietsch makes his first San Diego appearance here at the 2018 Miramar Air Show! Known as “The Jelly Belly guy”, Kent’s unbelievable flying skills will leave you mesmerized during each of the three VERY different acts that he does: a comedy act; a truck-top landing; and an aerobatic performance… with the engine turned off! With over 40 years as an airshow performer, Kent has received every major award from the Airshow Industry, and is also an Honorary Member of the Royal Canadian Snowbirds Demonstration Team. His Jelly Belly-sponsored 1942 Interstate Cadet weighs in at 800 pounds, and only has 90 horsepower… but you simply will not believe what he does with that airplane! Kent performs throughout North America, Australia and elsewhere, and MCAS Miramar is thrilled to bring this world-class aviator and entertainer to our Air Show lineup!
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Jacquie B. Air Shows – Extra 300

When most people turn 50, they figure it’s time to relax and settle into neutral while coasting toward retirement. Not Jacquie B! When Jacquie turned 50, she launched her solo aerobatic career with her one-of-a-kind Pitts Special biplane. During the centennial celebration of powered flight in 2003, Jacquie finally quit the humdrum of a white collar profession and realized her dream as an air show performer, becoming the first female pilot to enter this business at the age of 50.• • • • • • • • •

Warbirds Over Miramar

The radial engines return to roar over San Diego with a trainer parade and mock dog fight with Warbirds such as; The North American P-51 Mustang, FM2 Wildcat, North American T-6 Texan, and the North American T-34 Mentor
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Patriots L-39 Jet Team

Dedication, Precision and Dynamic are words that come to mind when watching the spectacular aerobatics performed by this awe-inspiring six-ship PATRIOTS JET TEAM. As one of the most demanding disciplines, and fascinating sights, aerobatic flying is a concentrated blend of technique, mastery and style which requires professional and highly experienced pilots. The Patriots perform a 26-minute aerobatic routine that consists of highly-skilled choreographed maneuvers including the signature maneuver the “Tail Slide”!

First debuting in 2003 as a two-ship team, the 2004 season saw the addition of a third aircraft creating even more fun and excitement at air shows. With the success of the 2005 season, the Patriots Jet Team added a fourth jet for the 2006 season. Finally, in 2011 with the introduction of two more beautiful black L-39s, Randy Howell’s vision of a world-class, professional six-ship team for the air show circuit became a reality!

The Patriots Jet Team features talented pilots who were formerly part of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds. They have logged over 105,000 hours of flight time and performed in more than 1500 air shows. The volunteer pilots all share the same, genuine passion to entertain audiences at air shows and other events, while encouraging the nation’s youth towards careers in the aviation and aerospace fields.

A breathtaking sight without a doubt! The Patriots Jet Team, unique in its kind represents an all-encompassing blend of passion, inspiration, integrity and professionalism captivating audiences from all over North America with their exhilarating aerobatic performances!

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Powered Paraglider Flight Demonstration Team

The Powered Paraglider Flight Demonstration Team’s air show routine is a meticulously coordinated aerial ballet which includes several formation configurations, from the Wedge to the Echelon Parade, to the basic Finger Tip and Diamond Formation. Aerobatics is one of the world’s most demanding disciplines – and one of the most fascinating sights; the team will perform a series of aerobatics maneuvers which demonstrate the full range of the paramotor/paraglider performance envelope, with maneuvers sustaining upwards of 5-7 G’s. The Team’s performance spans 40 mins with maneuvers that will have you at the edge of your seat all the way up end with a show center landing.

The Kangook and Parajet paramotors that the team flies allow them to create performance that showcase the incredible maneuverability, precision, and performance of this relatively modern method of flight.

Paramotor is a generic name for the propulsive portion of a powered paraglider (“PPG”). It consists of a frame that combines the motor, propeller, harness (with integrated seat) and cage. It provides two attachment points for the risers of a paraglider wing that allows for powered flight. The engines used are almost exclusively small light weight two-stroke internal combustion, between 80cc and 350cc. The flight time is between 3-5 hrs.

The entire team wants to thank all the great spectators for the opportunity to share this small part of the wonderful world of aviation.

Musical Performers

3rd MAW Band

The Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band was established for service during World War II. Soon after WWII ended, the band was deactivated and its members were sent to serve in Marine units in China and at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii. In 1952, the Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band was officially reactivated at Marine Corps Air Station Miami, Florida in support of the Korean conflict. In 1957, while the Third Marine Aircraft Wing relocated to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in California, the band remained in Miami and was assigned to Marine Air Group (MAG) 31. Later, the musicians attached to MAG-31 were integrated into the Air Fleet Pacific Band, in Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. It was at this time that the band received the title of Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band. The Third Marine Aircraft Wing remained at El Toro until 1997, when Naval Air Station Miramar was converted to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. From 1997 through 1999, all units relocated from Marine Corps Air Station El Toro to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar as part of the base realignment process. The band reported to its current location at MCAS Miramar in January 1999.
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Announcers

Ric Peterson

Ric Peterson is an air show announcer and an award winning broadcast journalist. He is also a voice over talent / Radio / TV host for over 30 years / the voice of Fleet Week San Francisco, the Los Angeles County and California Capital Air Shows as well as The Canadian National International Air Show in Toronto, Friendship Day MCAS Iwakuni Japan and the Sanicole Airshow in Belgium.

An Honorary Member of the Snowbirds; he’s been announcing at over 100 such air show events the past 26 years. Ric is also an honorary member of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds Jet Demonstration Team. He has written and narrated several television documentaries on aviation and is very active on the web allowing air show fans to follow his travels and get an insider’s view of these exciting events.
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Matt Jolley

Matt’s an experienced entertainer, former television news anchor and current host of the world’s only daily talk radio show for military aviation fans…Warbird Radio LIVE. Along with his work in the media, Matt also enjoys flying vintage military airplanes. He recently completed a 7000 mile solo flight across the US and Canada in a former Royal Air Force DHC-1.
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